5. A Stubborn Woman!

Ian gets a surprise.

Ian woke with a start. He was disoriented for a few seconds before he remembered that he was in the Critical Care Unit at St. Al's Hospital. He must have dozed off while holding Chrissy's hand. He looked down at the side of her bed where his head had been laying. There was a small damp spot where he had drooled in his sleep (oops). He glanced out through the glass wall toward the nurses station and saw two nurses, one on each side of the counter, talking to each other. Then he looked at Chrissy.

He was startled to find her looking back at him!

She hadn't moved at all, and her eyes were barely open more than slits, but she was clearly looking right at him.

“Chrissy?” he said tentatively, “Are you awake?” She can't answer you, Dumbass! She has a breathing tube down her throat! Ian wondered what to do. He had heard that people in comas sometimes opened their eyes and even followed people around the room with their eyes while still in a coma. Then he had an idea! “Chrissy, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.” He was crestfallen when nothing happened. Then... he felt her hand twitch! He was sure of it! “Do it again, Bittersweet,” he said. There was no denying it the second time. She squeezed his hand!!

“Chrissy! You're awake!” he said excitedly. He saw her eyes begin to travel about the room. “Oh, yeah. You're probably wondering where you are. You're at St. Al's Hospital.” He decided not to tell her she was in the Critical Care Unit. “I don't know how much you remember, but you were in a motorcycle accident. You were banged-up pretty bad, but the folks here are taking real good care of you!” Her eyes settled back on him. He stood up. “I should probably go tell the nurse that you're awake,” he said, “Wait here.” Wait here?! Where's she going, Idiot!

On his way to the nurses station it occurred to him that he could've just pressed the call button next to Chrissy's bed. Stupid, stupid!

“Um... my wife just woke up,” he said to the nurses as he approached them.

They stared at him for a few moments. “You mean the patient in number six... the motorcycle accident?!” one of them asked.

“Yeah.”

They looked at each other skeptically, then the one nearest Ian said, “I'll go check it out.”

She entered the room and approached Chrissy's bed. She bent close to her and said, “Hello, Chrissy. I'm L'teesha, one of the nurses here at St. Al's. It's good to see you awake. Would you do me a favor? I'm going to move my finger back and forth in front of you and I want you to follow it with your eyes. That's right. Very good! Now you just take it easy and don't try to move.”

She gestured for Ian to follow her back out to the nurses station. “You were right. She is awake. I don't think anyone expected her to wake up this soon!” (Or at all! she thought to herself.) “I don't even know who's been assigned to be her primary doctor yet, but they'll need to be notified.” Ian was grinning from ear to ear. “Now, it's certainly a good sign that she's awake. But don't get too excited!” she cautioned him, “She's still got a long way to go before she's out of danger!”

“Yes, I understand,” he replied, as he turned to go back to her room. But he couldn't stop grinning. His brain told him that he shouldn't get his hopes up too much yet, but in his gut he just knew that Chrissy was going to be okay.

She was too goddamn stubborn to die!

Author's Note

As always, criticisms and suggestions are welcome.

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

A very positive and hopeful chapter. It doesn't surprise me the nurses didn't believe him she was awake nor does it surprise me they didn't know who her doctor was. She'd been in the hospital long enough for them to know that. I enjoyed this chapter. I'm glad Chrissy is on her way back.

[Craig2591]

Thanks.